Chapter 37#

The Peerless Great Demon Ba She#

The mist before Zhaoyao Mountain gradually dispersed. The Demon King had emerged from seclusion. He stood beneath layer upon layer of parting mist, and as always, the mere sight of him diminished the splendor of the entire mountain. But this Demon King, who had always been clad in black robes, wore instead a striking crimson garment today, embroidered with intricate and magnificent dragon patterns. The fervent color lent his usually nonchalant appearance a touch of reckless arrogance.

The Demon Kings of every clan who had received the summons had long been waiting at the foot of the mountain. Seeing the King emerge from seclusion, they ceased their conversations and stood with hands clasped at their sides.

“Speak. What is the situation in the outside world?” The demon race had never been one for unnecessary formalities. Lu Heng sat down casually, leaning lazily against a massive boulder.

The Demon Kings of each clan followed suit, sitting on the ground one after another.

“A few days ago, I sent my clansmen to investigate at the Fanyin Temple. That continental origin has indeed suffered grievous damage. The aura of annihilation from the Zhulong’s soul surrounds it. However, the continental origin should be able to mend itself through the power of heaven and earth’s laws—how could it have come to the brink of collapse?” The one who spoke was the Rat Clan Demon King.

There was indeed hidden truth behind this matter, but it had occurred in the primordial era, and few still knew of it. Lu Heng was of the Ba She lineage, and the Ba She clan had inherited from the great primordial demons—they naturally knew the cause of all this.

Zhulong had originally been a benevolent god, the totem deity of the most powerful tribe upon the continental land. The people of that tribe offered Zhulong the power of their faith, and Zhulong protected the tribe. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Zhulong had a beloved young child, and the moment the child first attained the ability to take human form, they clamored to travel the mortal realm. As it happened, it was also the time Zhulong was undergoing a tribulation, unable to spare attention for the young one. To ensure the child’s safety, Zhulong entrusted them to that tribe.

Human greed is insatiable—the snake that swallows the elephant. The people of that tribe, having been protected by Zhulong for ten thousand years and having become the most powerful tribe, had long since given birth to covetous hearts. In secret, they worshipped an evil deity. Under the evil deity’s guidance, they imprisoned Zhulong’s young child, extracted the dragon soul, and refined it through dark arts, seeking to ascend to godhood themselves and share in the longevity of heaven and earth.

Zhulong, returning from tribulation, received this terrible news and was so enraged that they fell into demonhood. They devoured half the tribe’s people, and from that day forward turned against the human race, causing havoc across the land. In the end, the Ancient God had no choice but to intervene, slaying Zhulong beneath an axe, fashioning a flute from the dragon’s bones, and sealing the dragon soul within. The Ancient God carried the Zhulong bone flute at their side, hoping to dissolve its baleful energy. But before the resentment could be quelled, the War of the Gods began. The gods fell one by one, the Ancient God transformed into the continental origin, and the Zhulong bone flute was lost.

“After the War of the Gods, the human population on the continent was less than a ten-thousandth of its peak. That tribe which had killed Zhulong’s child, fearing retaliation from Zhulong, fled into a secret realm and hid there for ten thousand years, escaping the catastrophe.” Lu Heng said.

“The humans who now inhabit this continent, seven or eight out of every ten, are descendants of that tribe.” said Xixi, the Nine-Tailed Fox King. The fox clan was also an ancient demon clan and knew a thing or two about those events.

“No wonder—most of the humans on this continent owe a debt of karma to Zhulong’s soul.” A Demon King suddenly realized.

Lu Heng nodded. “The Ancient God who became the continental origin was a god of humanity. Bound by the weight of this karmic debt, they are powerless to recover.”

“After all this calculation! It is plainly a disaster the humans brought upon themselves, yet they shamelessly demand that our demon race bear the consequences!” The hot-tempered Tiger King slammed his palm down and shattered the boulder beside him.

Just yesterday, the demon race had received a proposal from the humans. It claimed that this calamity had originated from the demons and, for the sake of saving the countless lives on the continent, urged the demon race to take responsibility by using their ancestors’ bones to repair the continental origin. Originally, the demon race harbored some guilt, for this disaster had indeed been caused by one of their own. But that burial ground was the demon race’s foundation, passed down for ten thousand years. If they used their ancestors’ bones to mend the continental origin, the demon race would very likely decline and fall. Yet if they did not mend the continental origin, the demon race would inevitably be destroyed along with the continent itself.

The demon race was instantly plunged into a dilemma. The Demon Kings of all clans reported the matter to their King, which led to today’s gathering.

“Since that is the case, then humanity should also take responsibility for this matter. The guardian artifacts of those sects have all developed artifact spirits—they too could be used to patch up the world’s origin,” said the Rat King.

But Lu Heng spoke: “I fear that only things completely unrelated to humanity can cleanse that karmic debt and mend the world’s origin.”

The Demon Kings of all clans fell silent. Things completely unrelated to humanity that could also mend the world’s origin—what else could there be but the bones of the demon ancestors? But to disturb that burial ground would be tantamount to severing their own lineage. With the humans watching like tigers eyeing their prey, once the demon race weakened, they feared they would be devoured until not even bones remained. What good was any agreement in the face of self-interest—nothing but a scrap of paper.

“You may withdraw. I will make my own arrangements.” Lu Heng dismissed the Demon Kings of all clans and turned to enter Zhaoyao Mountain.

The matter of Shikong still needed to be dealt with. Lu Heng brought him to a secret realm, arranged an illusion array around him, and fabricated the appearance that a mental demon tribulation had been triggered by the illusion. Once everything was in place, he stared blankly at the figure within the formation for a long while. This Shikong was destined to become a Buddha. Upon becoming a Buddha, he would enter the higher planes of these three thousand worlds, share in the longevity of heaven and earth, and his soul would never enter reincarnation. And Lu Heng himself was a denizen of the Underworld Bureau—the two of them would likely never meet again.

Despite every ounce of reluctance, Lu Heng ultimately did nothing more than carefully trace those refined and handsome features one final time before bidding farewell in his heart.

Never to meet again.

Within the demon race’s forbidden ground, the atmosphere was unlike any before. As though sensing that the world’s origin was about to collapse, or foreboding a great disaster upon the demon race, the burial ground churned with a deep and abiding sorrow.

Lu Heng stood silently before the altar and reached up to remove Suixin, the sacred artifact, from his left ear. He lowered his eyes and gazed at the sacred artifact floating above his palm. His five fingers slowly clenched. As Lu Heng’s grip tightened, crack after crack spread across the sacred artifact’s surface, until it could bear the strain no longer and shattered into fragments in the air.

A phantom of a strange beast—bovine-bodied with an enormous mouth—leapt forth from within.

Lu Heng clasped his hands and bowed to it: “Thank you for your ten million years of guarding the demon race. But now the demon race faces peril, and this is a last resort. I ask the ancestor’s forgiveness.”

The beast raised a hoof and pawed the air in a ghostly gesture, then lowered its head and charged at Lu Heng. Lu Heng clasped his hands behind his back and stared unflinchingly into the beast’s eyes, refusing to retreat. In the moment of contact, Lu Heng saw a look of gratification flash through the beast’s gaze before it transformed into a streak of light and plunged into Lu Heng’s dantian.

The sacred artifact Suixin had bestowed all its power upon Lu Heng. In an instant, the aura emanating from Lu Heng’s figure surged dramatically. Along with the power came everything there was to know about the sacred artifact.

The Wish Beast was a auspicious creature that had walked among heaven and earth in the primordial age. It could hear the heart’s desires of all living beings and grant their wishes—but granting those wishes always demanded a price. The Wish Beast fed upon memories. As the cost for a wish fulfilled, it took from the wisher the most precious memory in their heart.

The demon race’s sacred artifact, born of the Wish Beast, was no different. Now every question had its answer. In the instant the Wish Beast’s soul merged into Lu Heng’s dantian, he remembered everything. He remembered Shikong—remembered meeting Shikong, knowing Shikong, loving Shikong. But it was all too late.

Lu Heng’s cultivation surged forward like a runaway horse, breaking through layer after layer, until he felt the rumbling of thunder overhead.

The Ascension Heavenly Tribulation.

Lu Heng did not want to destroy the demon race’s burial ground. With a single movement of his body, he appeared moments later above Zhishi—the Stone of Restriction—at the border of the demon race’s territory.

No one on this continent had ascended in thousands of years. This magnificent and imposing Ascension Heavenly Tribulation instantly attracted the probing gazes of countless interested parties. At first, no one knew who was undergoing the tribulation—until the moment the heavenly lightning reached its most devastating power.

A colossal serpent with a cyan head and a black body soared into the sky.

It is the Demon King of the demon race! The people marveled, but after their astonishment faded, their thoughts diverged in many directions.

Among the humans, most were indignant. Some immediately cursed loudly: “The Demon King abandons his own people and ascends at such a critical juncture—truly a heartless and unrighteous wretch!”

“I heard this Demon King is a snake demon. Then it’s hardly surprising—isn’t the snake the very symbol of cold-blooded and heartless vermin?”

But those in positions of power and weight had already, in a flash, thought to a much deeper level. With the demon race bereft of their Demon King’s protection, a little pressure would be enough to compel them to hand over the great demon’s bones and complete the mending of the continental origin. Beyond that, they could slowly cannibalize the demon race’s territory until nothing remained. Though the demon race’s lands were not as vast as those of the humans, they were abundant with spiritual energy and overflowing with heavenly treasures.

While the humans’ thoughts were a tangled web, the demon race’s were far simpler.

The countless lesser demons worshipped their King blindly, convinced that his ascension at this moment must be to resolve this colossal crisis.

The Demon Kings of all clans, who knew more of the hidden truth, harbored quiet unease in their hearts. Though their King had never cared for clan affairs, there was no one who had been more devoted and dedicated to guarding the demon race.

The giant serpent in the sky was indeed powerfully formidable. Even this tribulation—a gamble between life and death—had dealt him no great harm. Then the final bolt of tribulation lightning descended, carrying the force to destroy heaven and earth. The giant serpent did not dodge. It opened its massive jaws and swallowed the lightning bolt whole. Bolt after bolt of electricity writhed across its scales and through its body like ten thousand thunder serpents, tempering its frame into something even more unassailable.

The thunder tribulation ended. The clouds slowly parted, and a pillar of golden light broke through the heavens, enveloping the black giant serpent within. This meritorious golden light served two purposes: to refine the impurities of body and soul, and to guide those who had completed their tribulation to ascend to the higher realm. For ten thousand years, this Demon King had walked the righteous path of cultivation, never taking the lives of innocent beings, and had protected the demon race for millennia. The power contained within this meritorious golden light was vast and pure.

Whatever thoughts had occupied each person before, at this moment they could feel only reverence for the power of the laws, and in their hearts, a yearning for that journey through the shattered void into ascension.

But the giant serpent’s next action stunned everyone. He did not ascend along the meritorious golden light. Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out a golden demon core. The demon core split in two mid-air, and one half shot swiftly toward the demon race’s side.

That half of the demon core plunged directly into the dantian of the Nine-Tailed Fox King. A deep, resonant voice echoed through the sky: “Xixi, from now on the demon race is entrusted to your care. I hope you will not tarnish our demon race’s name, and will protect our lineage for all eternity.”

Only then did Xixi snap out of her shock. She had already guessed the King’s intention: “King! You absolutely must not!”

But now the Demon King was the most powerful being between heaven and earth. No one could stop what he intended to do. The Demon King swallowed the other half of the demon core, and his body spiraled and rolled in the sky. Then his coat of jet-black scales detached from his flesh.

Scales shed from a body that had already become a demon god were, naturally, no ordinary things. No sooner had they separated from his body than they flew toward Zhishi, driving into the ground and transforming into monolithic stones that nearly pierced the clouds. Each stone was imbued with mysterious and profound power, and this unbroken chain of monoliths became an insurmountable chasm between the human territory and the demon territory. From that day forward, only those—human or demon—recognized by this stone forest could cross the dividing line and set foot in the other’s domain.

Having accomplished all this, the Demon King opened his golden slit-pupiled eyes and cast one last longing glance in a certain direction. Then, carrying the meritorious golden light, he soared toward Fanyin Temple.

Moments later, beside the towering phantom of the continental origin, the phantom of that great serpent appeared. The black giant serpent coiled around the stone tree, spiraling upward, its body wound tightly around the trunk as the meritorious golden light slowly merged into the stone tree. Little by little, the color of the serpent’s skin turned the same grayish-blue as the stone tree until the two became one.

The phantom of the continental origin slowly faded. The heavy sorrow that had permeated between heaven and earth vanished without a trace, replaced instead by the meaning of endless, ceaseless vitality.

Lu Heng returned to that familiar enclosed little space. Unlike last time, he had no mood at all to watch what followed. His thoughts remained fixed on that familiar figure that had come tearing through the void, plunging into the depths below Fanyin Temple’s main peak.

It shouldn’t be possible. The innate demon art of the Ba She lineage—how could it be so easily broken through? Lu Heng comforted himself.

The Little Assistant had skillfully opened several screens in the air.

The Nine-Tailed Fox King Xixi succeeded Lu Heng as Demon King. Having weathered this ordeal, her character had grown far more mature and steady. Coupled with the half of the demon core Lu Heng had bestowed upon her, her strength soon surpassed that of every cultivator in the human race. Under her careful stewardship, the demon race’s power gradually overcame the humans’. Under the deterrent of such formidable strength, no cultivator or sect dared once again use demons as materials for artifact refinement.

Every newborn demon, upon first entering their clan school, received their first lesson on the origin of that protective stone forest along the demon race’s border—and on the most dazzlingly brilliant Demon King in the demon race’s history, Zheng.

Even among humans, there was not a single word of criticism for this Demon King. After all, to abandon one’s own ascension and use one’s soul and body to mend the world’s origin—search your conscience, and perhaps not a single person could have done the same. This Demon King had truly saved the countless living beings on this continent from the fires of destruction. And all the evil deeds the Qingquan Sect had once inflicted upon this Demon King could no longer be concealed. The scandal rocked the world. The grand sect dissolved into dust overnight. Its sect leader, Qing Kong Zi, had his cultivation crippled and a poisonous curse placed upon him by the Demon King Zheng’s admirers, and he died covered in festering sores in a ruined temple in the mortal world.

But none of this interested Lu Heng. After a casual glance, he hurriedly found the screen showing Shikong.

What appeared before him was the snow rabbit demon, Bai Li. After triggering that catastrophic disaster, she had hidden herself inside the secret realm from which she had received her mysterious inheritance. The moment she entered the secret realm, Bai Li regained her composure. It turned out that her mental state had been unstable—the resentment from the Zhulong’s soul had influenced her, and that was how the great error had been committed.

But the bitter fruit had already been set, and she had no power to turn back time. The karmic debt of those thousands of innocent disciples who had perished—this was to be laid at her feet. Within this secret realm, though she had evicted the demon race’s kill order, she could not escape the thunder tribulation. Day after day, Bai Li endured the tribulation’s thunder, only to be restored to perfect condition by the secret realm—now acknowledging her as its master—when she was on the brink of death. Over and over, day and night, the torment continued.

Every time the heavenly lightning struck, Bai Li wanted to end it all. Yet when her wounds healed, a sliver of hope would return. On this day, the tribulation clouds had just dispersed, and the secret realm’s power was healing her injuries. Suddenly, a tear ripped open in the air above, and a figure stepped through.

Bai Li was startled at first, but upon seeing the person’s face clearly, her shock turned to delight.

Shikong.

Lost in the joy of seeing the one she loved, Bai Li failed to notice anything amiss with Shikong. This monk, who should have been as handsome and composed as a clear breeze beneath a bright moon, now had eyes blazing crimson, black mist churning between his brows, and paired with the red robes he wore, the whole of him looked utterly sinister and wild. This was clearly the mark of having fallen into demonhood.

“So I’ve finally found you.”

Seeing that Shikong held in his hands none other than the Karmic Causal Disc—the supreme treasure of Fanyin Temple—Bai Li was even more overjoyed: “Master Shikong, for the sake of the time we once spent together, could you help me dissolve this karmic debt?”

“If it had not been for seeking him… If I had not sensed his scent on you…” Shikong murmured in a low voice.

Bai Li did not catch Shikong’s hushed words. She watched as Shikong gathered his hands together, and the Karmic Causal Disc dissolved into a sphere of pure spiritual energy. With a single motion, Shikong drove that sphere of spiritual energy directly into her body.

As Bai Li felt the karmic debt gradually dissipating and her cultivation skyrocket, she was about to express her thanks—when a searing pain erupted from her dantian. She looked down, and saw a perfect, flawless hand tearing open her dantian. And then, her consciousness sank into endless darkness.

The scene shifted.

Shikong appeared before the world’s origin. The demonic energy in his hands formed a cage, and sealed within it was none other than Bai Li’s soul.

Shikong began talking to himself again: “This whole affair began because of you. How could his soul be used to mend the world’s origin? This karmic debt was always yours to repay. You should be the one to take his place… and allow him to re-enter reincarnation…”

With that, Shikong merged Bai Li’s soul into the world’s origin. A glimmer of hope lingered on his face as he stared unblinkingly at the world’s origin.

Day after day passed. Nothing changed.

At last, Shikong gave up hope. He threw back his head and laughed wildly, then slumped to the ground in dejection: “I should have understood long ago. In those hundreds of years searching for you, in the moment I first laid eyes on that Demon King—I should have seen through it. You were never a person of this world…”

“Awakening—how could I awaken? Letting go—when I don’t even know whose heart my own is bound to, how could I ever bring myself to let go?”

Shikong had fallen into demonhood through his obsessions. Just as with becoming a Buddha, he now possessed an endless lifespan. But from that day forward, Shikong confined himself to the place where the world’s origin lay. Every single day, he gazed in vacant longing at the great serpent coiled around the stone tree, never once stepping away.